After a two-month nomination period, the Bank of England have now revealed the full list of 436 (deceased) visual artists suggested by the British public to appear on the new £20 note.
Fashion designers Alexander McQueen, Jean Muir and Thomas Burberry (the founder of Burberry) are joined by fashion photographers Corinne Day, Cecil Beaton and Norman Parkinson, and club kid / walking artwork Leigh Bowery on the list. Artists Derek Jarman, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Richard Hamilton and Pauline Boty also feature, alongside sculptors Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth (whose Tate retrospective opened recently) and film directors Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Tony Scott.
The Bank of England’s Chief Cashier Victoria Cleland says, “I am delighted with the number of nominations we have received, and appreciative of the public’s engagement in this new initiative. The fact that so many visual artists have been put forward underlines the extent of British achievement in the visual arts and reinforces why this field deserves to be recognised on the next £20 note.”
The chosen visual artist will be revealed in spring 2016, with the note coming into circulation within 3-5 years.
Credits
Text Charlotte Gush